Game Changer
by kelseytheskier
Summary: A mentor from District 4 falls in love with the head gamemaker, Seneca Crane... While in the Capitol I never noticed anyone. Until the ball held at President Snow's mansion, this held true.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: Thank you to my wonderful friend. Without her, the story would not have motivation to go on and I would not be nearly as proud of it as I am. She has helped create some of the remarks in the story since she has a sassy mouth. Her input has meant a lot to me and I hope that I can help her practice for her future job. You know who you are. Thank you. -KMK**

***I do not own any of Suzanne Collins' characters***

The train pulled away from the platform as I took my seat next to Kern. "You did good up there," I said complimenting his speech. I knew how hard it was to look into the faces of the dead tributes' families. In the poorer districts their faces were filled with complete sorrow. They had lost children in the Hunger Games, where they never wanted to be. The districts that produced career tributes, on the other hand, had a hint of disappointment with that sorrow. Their children were automatic favorites of each game. In district 2's case, the two tributes had volunteered and lost, leaving their families angry and disappointed in their choices.

"Thanks. Did you see the father of Ocala? He kept giving me this pissed off look," Kern replied.

"Well were you expecting him to hug you and congratulate you on killing his son?" Finnick chimed in as he strolled into the room from his and Annie's quarters.

"Well uh, no. I guess not," he replied trying to shrug it off a bit.

"You know you can use your head for thinking too. Not just bashing people's skulls in," Finnick said as he passed Kern, smacking him upside the head. I had to laugh, even through the truth of what he had said. Kern, in the arena, had taken a female tributes shoulders in his massive hands and smashed his head into her skull, subsequently knocking himself unconscious for several hours. His head, however was stronger than hers, and her canon sounded on impact. Thankfully, she didn't suffer. A string of profanity from Finnick brought me back to the train. Kern had Finnick pinned to the wall, probably antagonized by the jokes he made a Kern's expense. I rolled my eyes and got up. I don't want to be around these two when they fight. It's never that bad, but I didn't want to hear the commotion; I wanted some time alone in somewhat silence. Not being a people person, these few days of being on the victory tour as a mentor have not been very fun. I enjoyed seeing all the different districts, but the people I had to interact with weren't as enjoyable. There was nothing wrong with the people specifically; it was just having to be around so many of them and be out of my element back in District 4 that made it so difficult.

Walking to my room I thought about why I had become such a recluse. Well not recluse, that sounds psychotic. Loner sounded more like me. I wasn't used to solitude, but I craved it. I had no real family waiting for me at home: no boyfriends, no parents, no siblings. My mother died while giving birth to my younger brother eleven years ago. He didn't live a week when his heart gave in. My father, so distraught with loosing his wife and newborn son, turned to drinking. He was soon unable to control himself after several bottles and attacked a peace keeper, nearly killing the woman. The next day he was hung in the main square for a public execution. I held his hand as he died of asphyxiation.

I lived with my friend, Brittania, and her family after my father's death. They took me in as their own since, I was only fourteen when he died. Brittania had a younger brother, Skene and a younger sister, Chicory. Her mother and father, Wrenth and Ablelake, took me in as their own and cared for me. After my participation and victory in the 63rd Hunger Games, I moved into one of the Victor's Village homes. I was then able to get Brittania and her family to move in with me after convincing Mayor Phillps that as my guardians, they should be able to stay with me. He agreed and they were allowed to move in with me.

Since then, they had all lived with me in the mansion, which was too big for one person. Chicory would always bring home animals and try to keep them. Ablelake would always have to explain to her that wild animals couldn't live with humans. They didn't get along, he would tell her. He was right; wild animals didn't get along with humans.

When I got into my room, I kicked off my shoes and changed out of my clothes. I didn't put anything on over my underclothes and crawled into my bed, being exhausted from a long week of traveling. Laying on my back, the train felt like it was gently swishing back and forth, like waves in District 4. I closed my eyes and thought of floating in the ocean, the waves carrying me.

When I woke up, the sun was still down which meant we wern't in District 1 yet, the last stop before the Capitol. I always found the Capitol people creepy. They wore bizarre outfits, colored their hair unnatural colors, and dyed their skin to match. It was one of my least favorite stops just for that reason. I wasn't really into the city either, however the climate was my second favorite of Panem, District 7 being number one. I loved being in the cold mountains with the towering pine trees.

Although my mind had already been wide awake, I tried to get back to sleep to no avail. I didn't want to get out of my bed yet, but there was no point in laying here, so I got up and walked into the common area of the train. No one else was awake, so I flicked on a light, sat down and looked at the magazines on the table in front of me. Each time we traveled to a different part of Panem, the magazines changed. The magazines of the various districts showed past victors and their bios, products and uses of them specific to the region, and nothing but smiles of every face of the magazines. I knew, though, that those pictures were nothing but false. Sure, some of the districts could be depicted as smiling but most of the time they should have had frowns and less editing to show the gauntness of their faces. I picked up the District 1 magazine closest to me and examined the cover. Lots of jewels and jewelry were displayed with beautiful detail to each piece.

Distracting me, I heard a few foot steps behind me. I jumped up and threw the magazine back onto the table, quickly turning to see who was behind me. It was Annie. She was pouring herself a cup of tea at the breakfast bar with her back to me. Suddenly I felt self conscious. I didn't put anything over my undergarments when I got out of bed. I looked down to realize that I had a robe on. Relieved I calmed myself and walked over to her. "Good morning, Annie," I still had a hint of sleep left in my voice.

"Good morning, Maisy. DId you sleep okay? I heard you get up a few times during the night," she seemed a little concerened about my welfare.

"You must have heard someone else. I just got up ten minutes ago." She looked at me skeptically. Did she think I was lying?

"Well, um, Maisy, you came into our bedroom last night," she said sheepishly. "You walked in and told Finnick and I that you wanted to paint the trees with our blood." My jaw dropped. It was a nightmare that I used to have. It stemmed from the 63rd Hunger Games. The year I was told those words by a District 2 tribute.

"I'm so sorry, Annie. You know why I said that and that it wasn't against either of you, right?"

"Yes, of course. I just wanted you to know what happened." She was so sweet. Although she was six years younger than me, she looked out for me and I her. We had both been put through something horrible. She had Finnick though; I didn't have that one person to help me through it and probably never would. After all, I was coping pretty well. It had been nine years since I emerged victor from the Hunger Games and the nightmares had become minimal a few years ago.

Annie and I took a seat at the table and chatted while we waited for everyone else to wake up. We had to go to District 1 today and Kern would give his speech at the Justice Building. We then had dinner with the mayor and some other District 1 guests. Thankfully, everything went well. I was a little excited to go back to the Capitol again, however much the people creeped me out. The food was what made me so excited.

Another perk of going to the Capitol was how I messed with people. Knowing who the game makers, escorts, and other people involved in the Hunger Games were gave me an advantage. I would eye them up and give them slightly dirty looks when they looked at me. Give them a cold shoulder or a sarcastic remark when they tried to converse with me. Some I would lead on if they tried to flirt with me then crush them before the night ended. Nothing too horrible that would spark negative attention from the Capitol, but just enough to confuse them. All because Capitol citizens were wild animals to us. And wild animals, did not get along with humans.

**AN: Comment with suggestions and criticism. I want to make this story as awesome as possible, although it probably won't reach that outside my mind. Thank you to everyone who is reading. Hopefully the next chapter will be out soon. Please keep in mind that it might start off a little slow, but Seneca will be in Chapter 3 at the latest! -KMK**


	2. Chapter 2

**Sorry it took so long! Complications! Enjoy! -KMK**

The day went as planned. Magnus, Kern's escort, wasn't uptight since we had made it to District 1 on time. Magnus, normally, had a laid back personality, but these days leading up to the Capitol visit were hectic and stressful for him. He always had anxiety over not making a good impression to his Capitol friends and President Snow which disgusted me. I didn't like that he tried so hard to please people that didn't deserve it. Although, he was a Capitol citizen and they wanted nothing more than to be liked.

When I walked in the train I went directly to my room. I was too tired to do anything else. I would shower in the morning. I let my green dress slide to the floor and I dug through my closet to find pants and a tank top. It was colder now than it was yesterday. After getting dressed, I walked into my bathroom as quickly as possible. I wanted to get to bed soon and would have loved to run into the bathroom, but my energy level was non-existent. I needed to wash my face to get rid of all the makeup our stylist had put on me or it would be everywhere but my face when I woke up.

After several minutes of scrubbing and too much soap, my eyes burned and my skin was a little raw, but I got most of the makeup off. Thankfully my blonde waves were left natural today which meant no more work for me. I walked back into my room and plopped my body down on the bed, simultaneously crawling under the heavy down comforters. Once underneath, I laid on my back and thought about the next few days. Finnick and I would be staying in the Capitol a few extra days while everyone else went back to District 4 for the Harvest Festival. We each had "jobs" to complete. They were assigned to us shortly after our victories in the Hunger Games. Finnick, being more attractive than the average male, was used for the Capitol women's pleasure. My slick tongue and persuasive tone became Panem's voice of support for the Hunger Games. But in between our jobs, boy did we have fun. We'd go out and explore the Capitol a bit. We'd have some drinks, but by the end of the night, I'd be left alone. Finnick would go home with some woman who would tell him all her secrets. Sure, I had advances, but I wasn't hopping into some strangers bed, mainly because I wasn't obliged to. Finnick had to.

Lost in my thoughts, as I usually was, my door slamming open against the wall brought me back. I sat up quickly, but not soon after, I was knocked back onto my back. When I realized what was happening, I saw Kern's face.

"What the hell are you doing?" I yelled at him. He didn't respond. He was only grunting heavily. With each breath he took I could smell the alcohol on his breath. He had me pinned down and it looked like he was getting ready to punch me. He threw several punches, but I was somehow able to dodge them. He was very lathargic with all the alcohol in his system.

"Get off of me!" I screamed again. He raised his fist and was ready to punch me again when Finnick and Magnus ran into my room. Magnus started panicking and yelled.

"For God's sake, Kern what are you doing?" He yelled. I could hear the panic in his voice. I got my leg out from under Kerns and pulled it back to my chest getting ready to kick him in the groin when Finnick pulled him off of me. By the time I noticed, though, my foot was already flying into my now changed target. Somehow, Finnick put himself in the path of my foot. The impact of my foot sent him back a little and off the foot of my bed.

"Shit! Finnick! Are you okay?" I asked as I hurried out of my bed. Finnick was on the ground. With my hands and feet being my favorite weapon, I was able to put him in a lot of pain. He was moaning a little with his hand on his chest. He righted himself and leaned up against the bed. Magnus moved over towards Kern.

"What the hell were you doing? I was getting him off of you." He asked, seeming out of breath. The blow to the chest probably knocked the wind out of him.

"I'm so sorry. I wasn't trying to kick you." I said apologetically.

"You're lucky you didn't kick him. He needs to look good for the Capitol visit," he scolded.

"It wouldn't have mattered, no one would see," I replied defiantly. Magnus ignored me and helped Kern up. Kern staggered back out of my room and I turned to Finnick. "I'm really sorry, Finnick. How bad does it hurt?"

"You," he paused to catch a breath, "might have cracked a rib." I winced. He seemed like he was struggling to breath from the pain.

"Let me take you to see the doctor on the train. They'll have some medication for you." He nodded as he slowly pushed himself off the ground and too his feet. "Do you want to see if Annie is still awake. Maybe she could go with you if you'd prefer."

"Naw, that's fine. I'll let her sleep."

We walked through the hallway. Past the kitchen. As we walked through the hallway, if there was an Avox, they would press themselves against the walls as we walked by. It was uncomfortable when they did that. We didn't feel above them the way they were forced to feel about us. Finnick broke the silence as we walked down the hallway.

"Kern is getting on my nerves. He's such an idiot."

"Yeah, tell me about it. Aggressive drunks are not good. Ever. Especially when they pin you down on your bed and try to beat you," I replied.

"Hey, at least it's the last night we have to spend with him. Well, until next year," he said dreadfully.

"You'll be on your own next year. I don't think I'm coming back. I mean, I don't need to. I've been given the choice since we have so many victors now."

"Oh, I understand. Maybe you'll change your mind."

"Maybe," I said as we reached the clinic.

"I'm good from here. You look dead to the world. Get some rest."

"Alright, and sorry again. I hope you don't bruise too badly," I said remorsefully. I didn't want him to hurt because of me.

"Yeah, like you kick that hard," he said as he disappeared behind the sterile doors. He was gone before I could say anything.

I walked back to my bedroom alone, barely able to walk. I desperately needed sleep. It was very quite on the train now that everyone was asleep. I saw a clock on my way to my room. It was three A.M.. At least the Capitol ran on slightly different hours than every other district did so we wouldn't have to be off the train for twelve hours. I had reached my room and fell onto the disheveled bed. The sheets were torn off and the comforter lay on the ground. I spun myself on the bed and reached down to grab it. I pulled it over myself and I quickly fell asleep.

I woke up to knocking at my door.

"Maisy, you need to get up. We're going to be at the Capitol in a few hours," what sounded like Magnus said.

"Alright," I responded with what voice I could muster. I heard the footsteps retreat. I slid out of my bed. I knew that I needed to get up right away or I would be running behind. I stood up a little too fast and lost my balance while the room spun from the rush of blood. When I regained my balance I stretched my muscles and walked into the bathroom. I flicked on the light and started the shower. I undressed and walked over to the full sized mirror. My body didn't take over the entire height of the mirror being as the mirror stoof from floor to ceiling. My waist was slightly shrunken form the lack of food over the last twelve hours. The thought of food made my stomach growl. The blonde nest on top of my head no longer resembled hair or at least hair that I would like on my head so I walked from the mirror and into the shower, soaking myself in hot, steamy water.

Getting out of the shower, I grabbed a towel and dried myself off. I swapped my towel for a robe and wrapped it around myself, leaving my hair wet so they stylists could do what they wanted. The rest of the morning was pretty uneventful. Kern didn't remember anything last night because he was so drunk. All through breakfast, Finnick and I ignored him after he had no remorse for his actions. Finnaly the stylists came. They took Kern first, being the victor, and then Finnick and Annie since they finished their lunch before me.

When Aelia, our stylist, was ready for me, she took me back to my room, sat me down in a chair and went to work. She shared the latest Capitol gossip. Who was with who and who was the most fashionable. She dropped names of game makers and other people I wasn't familiar with. The head gamemaker was fairly new, so this would be the first time meeting him, or at least seeing him. I didn't remember him from last year. It would be interesting to see who would all approach me. Normally, I made myself seem unapproachable so I would be left alone. Only the brave or, in some cases, stupid, would come talk to me.

When Aelia was done curling my hair and doing my makeup, she handed me a mirror and asked for my opinion.

"It looks good. I can actually say I love it!" I said enthusiastically. Normally it was pretty bad, but my makeup looked good this time.

"Yes! I finally found your sweet spot for makeup! After nine years I got it right." Aelia squealed in her thick Capitol accent. She had been my stylist since I had been a tribute. We butted heads at first, but after several years, we made peace with each other. "Now that your makeup and hair are done, its time to show you your dress!"

She went over to my closet, dug around a bit, shuffling clothes around, and pulled out an ice blue dress, handing it to me. I pulled off my robe and stepped into my dress so my hair wouldn't uncurl itself. While I was getting into the dress, Aelia pulled out some shoes. When I was done, she tossed them to me from across the room while she packed up her supplies. I caught them easily, one in each hand. sliding the heels on I stood up and walked to the full sized mirror. The heels made me seem much taller, which was awkward. I was used to my slightly less than normal height. Looking into the mirror, my blue eyes popped with the makeup surrounding them. Blonde curls cascaded down my back with blue tinsel curled in as well.

"Wow, this really does look amazing." I complemented the both of us simultaneously.

"Well thank you very much."

After examining my outfit, I left my room and walked into the common area. Annie and Magnus were talking while Finnick gave Kern some more advice on how to behave in the Capitol. We had a few minutes until the train arrived at the platform, so I sat down and grabbed a magazine off the table. I flipped through some of the pages. There were advertisements for makeup and beauty products, fashion tips, and interviews with several people behind the games. None of the interviews looked interesting. There was one man, however that was interviewed that had an interesting beard. I couldn't figure out if it was weird or intruiging. The train felt like it was slowing down so I put the magazine back on the table and waited for the train to stop where we would be getting off.

When it stopped, we waited until Magnus led us out the door, Kern following behind him. We walked out and were quickly escorted into a small car by two peacekeepers that thwarted the crowds away from us. Shortly after getting in the car, we arrived at the Chariot Hall where Kern would be interviewed with the ever creepy Ceasar Flickerman. People thought he was great with how he helped out the tributes, but he was no better than any other Capitol denizen. We squeezed out of the car and entered from the back of the building to avoid crowds. People working on the set of the interview were shuffling around getting ready for the interview. One woman came and clipped a microphone onto Kern's suit.

I could hear through her headset someone say, "We're live in 5 minutes."

She walked away. "Kern, good luck, I guess. It's not that difficult of an interview. Just don't forget to bring up your talent, being an asshole," I said.

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot. Thanks for the reminder," he said sarcastically, shortly before walking onto the stage.

After he walked on stage I walked away and took a seat on our chairs backstage. Annie came to join me shortly after along with Finnick. Magnus refused to sit and stood as close to the stage as possible. He was really concerned with how Kern's interview was going to go. He shouldn't though as it was the final interview and there were no sponsors left to impress. The interview was over pretty quickly, and we quickly left in order to be on time. Magnus hurried us out of the Chariot Hall and into the car where we drove to President Snow's mansion.

As we pulled up to the front there was a long path lined with peace keepers that were holding back people. The path lead to the front entrance of President Snow's mansion. In my mind, it was the most hideous building in the Capitol. It had a a very industrial look and it felt as cold and unwelcoming as the man that lived in it. We were once again rushed out of the car by Magnus. He prodded us along as we walked down the path, mainly because Kern was the first person and apparently he couldn't walk and watch the people behind the peacekeepers simultaneously. As we reached the doors, Magnus gave us all stern looks.

"Now, remember, best behavior, all of you," he said looking at Kern, "Not too much drinking. Save it for the train. We can't afford for you to be throwing punches at people here, understood?"

Kern waved him off and pushed the door open. The crowd by the door immediately noticed and some came around him. My job was on hold, now, unless he came near me. I nodded my head to Annie and Finnick and walked through the doors. Aelia followed me as we walked to the table with food. I tried a few things to tide me over, not wanting to look like a slob. Aelia ate a lot, and was constantly going to the bathroom to rid herself of what she had already eaten. Not wanting to be around that, I walked around and was congratulated for mentoring a winning tribute, even though Finnick had worked with Kern the most. Aelia eventually found me again, bringing me a glass of some sweet juice while she had some strong liquor that I could smell standing next to her. Thankfully she knew me well enough to not bring me the same concoction. While standing with her, she commented on my appearance.

"No one is ever going to talk to you with our air about you," she said matter of factly.

"That's not true. I've had people talk to me."

"Yes, but you have a lower chance of a guy coming to talk to you if you act so high and mighty," she pointed out.

"If I'm going to be with someone, they need to be able to not be scared of me," I replied. "I don't want someone weaker than I am."

"I have yet to see someone put out a stronger air of authority than you. You do this every year. Have some fun, let go," she prodded.

"I'll be fine, Aelia," I said ending the discussion immediately. She needed to stop pushing it so hard. I walked away to the food table and had some more of my favorite soup. It was red and very thick, almost a chowder. After a bowl of that and some bread, I walked back out and past Magnus who beckoned me over to him. He was talking with another man.

"Ah, Maisy, there you are. Mr. Crane, I'd like to introduce you to Maisy."

**AN: CLIFF HANGER! Not really, but I left you all hanging on a step. STEP HANGER! Sorry for not updating sooner, I've been camping, and the original version of this chapter, when it was near it's completion, got deleted, so I had to start over. I think this is better, though. Since the story has begun, I've added another friend to my awesome editor group. Katie is new and I thank her for her time. Both Britt and Katie edit the story for me and give suggestions. I truly appreciate all their help and support. Keep reading please! Chapter 3 should be out much quicker than this one. I have most of it written and just need to paste it all together. Remember, I love comments. They will keep me going and motivate me! One last thing: who do you see as Magnus? I know there hasn't been much description if any but who do you think? Thank you all! -KMK**


	3. Chapter 3

I looked at the man Magnus was introducing me to. His ice blue eyes looked at me with some degree of severity and seduction.

"Maisy Enark, it's a pleasure to meet you," he said picking up my hand and lowering his head to kiss the top of my hand. His beard felt weird on my skin. I had to hold back rolling my eyes. This wasn't something uncommon. It didn't happen often, but I was used to the attempts at wooing.

"Likewise, Mr. Crane" I replied. He was much taller than me, even though the heels I was wearing gave me at least four ridiculous inches.

"Seneca," he corrected. Magnus ignored us and continued.

"Mr. Crane was the head gamemaker last year and will be assuming the position once again," Magnus added.

"Very nice," I said and nodded to him as if I cared. He cracked a smile and looked back over to Magnus who was continuing his conversation. I listened in and watched Seneca Crane. His beard was how I remember it; peculiar. Now seeing it in person, I could tell it fit him perfectly. His blue eyes were very bright and stood out against the lighter skin. His eye brows were thick and gave a severe look unless he was laughing. When he finished talking to Magnus, he turned to me, catching me off guard. Normally I was more in control of what I was doing, but I think he caught me staring. He gave me a slight smirk.

"Would you like to dance, Maisy?" he asked seductively. I felt Magnus's stare boring into the side of my face. It felt as if I would have a hole in my head from his stare. I hesitated.

"I am actually pretty hungry, I was thinking about getting some soup," I gestured towards the tables with my lie.

"Please, it will be one dance. You can't be that hungry after spending all that time over there?" he called my bluff. So this guy was just gutsy and arrogant, not stupid. My skin started to heat with slight irritation. Doesn't anyone respect other's wants whether they're true or not?

"Well, either way, there was a pie I thought looked good," I hesitated. "Would you care to join me, Mr. Crane?" He wasn't going to leave me alone until I danced with him, and even then, he'd still try to woo me.

"Seneca," he corrected again. I ignored him. "Do I have a dance after that?" he still pressed.

"Maybe."

"I can work with that." I rolled my eyes. This is ridiculous, I thought. I walked towards the table and he caught up with long strides and walked next to me. Thankfully the walk to the table wasn't far so no small talk had to be made. We reached the table and I scanned it for something sweet.

"Have you tried the cherry torte?" he asked as he watched me.

"Yes, but I prefer desserts that are sweet all the way through."

"Chocolate?" he asked. I nodded in reply.

"Then try the chocolate truffle. It's very rich," he said as he picked up two plates of the chocolate dessert and handed me one.

"Thanks." We walked over to some chairs and sat down.

"So, how come I've never seen you before?" he questioned in between bites.

"You were probably distracted by something else," I retorted.

"Or preoccupied by duties. It is only my second year." He stared back at me.

"Yes, of course."

He finished his last bite of pie and set it down on the table next to him. "Now that you've had pie, would you like to dance?" He looked at me with some degree of intensity.

"One dance is all I can promise you," I said. His eyes picked up a little and he gave another smirk. He stood up out of his chair, once again, towering over me. He put his hand out towards me in politeness. I still had my plate in my hand, so I set it down, standing up simultaneously to avoid his hand. He quickly put his hand down and instead extended his arm to me. I linked my arm with his, knowing that I couldn't avoid that gesture. We walked out to the dance floor where several people were already dancing.

"Remember, I said one dance."

"Oh, I remember," he said as he turned to me. His arm rested on my waist, his other grabbing my hand. My skin was tanned from being in the sun and contrasted his pale hands.

"You do know that the song is halfway through," I pointed out. The song had been going on for a few minutes.

"It's not that far into the song so don't worry. You'll have plenty of song to dance with me to," he said smirking like he always did when he felt like he was pointing out my hidden feelings. I ignored him and rolled my eyes.

"What year did you participate in the Hunger Games," he questioned. He seemed to downplay my participation.

"I became victor," I said with slight emphasis, "in the 63rd Hunger Games."

"I can't say I remember you that clearly, although once you began as a spokeswoman for the Games," he paused and looked directly at me. Great, more wooing. The severe eyes were working however, and so was the arrogance. "then you stood out more." He continued to stare into my eyes. His dark eye brows framed his ice blues eyes perfectly. His nose was angular and his beard flowed perfectly into his minimal lips.

We were still slowly spinning around on the floor several minutes later. It was the same song, and I wasn't sure if I was happy or angry with the length of the song. I noticed someone's presence behind me but as we spun, I couldn't see who it was. Suddenly, someone all but slammed into my back, sending me into Seneca. Trying to catch myself I stumbled forward and onto my dress, not helping my case. My last ditch effort was to grab onto anything near, which in this instance, was Seneca. I grabbed onto his jacket quickly which caused his stance to falter a bit, until he grabbed my arm and waist to steady me. I stood up straight again and was much closer to Seneca than I was before someone bumped me. He had his hand on my waist and the other on my arm. Just past him I saw Aelia with too large of a smile on her face and realized that she had something to do with not so innocent shove. I didn't think that she would pull such a childish move. I adjusted my eyes to see Seneca and he was staring at me. He lifted a finger and shook it once just as the song came to a close as if the gesture ended the song.

"Was that enough song," he asked.

"Plenty, I replied with some curtness. His eyes narrowed a bit but not enough to show too much discouraged feelings.

He wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me towards a large archway that lead to another corridor. "Where are we going?" I tried to plant my heels to stop us from moving forward, but the shoes prevented that. He turned around to answer my question. We stopped in the corridor. It looked similar to the main hall just on a smaller scale with less people.

"Back to my apartment. I assumed that we could get to know each other better over a glass of wine."

"Haven't you heard what happens when you assume?"

"Please enlighten me."

"You'll make an ass out of me and you."

"I do believe I have heard that before. Although I think it goes 'you'll make an ass out of you and me'. You however seem to be assuming that I am taking you back for something other than a drink."

I ignored his correction. "Those words never came out of my mouth."

"I'm aware, however they were implied."

"I think we've entered into a grey area. Implying, assuming; when will things just be out in the open?"

"When we reach my apartment," he said matter-of-factly.

"You're so confident that you'll get me that easily. Let's set the record straight, shall we?" I waited for his acknowledgement and continued. "I don't jump at the first guy to try and get me in his bed and certainly not the tenth. I don't see why you're so adamant about sleeping with me when I show absolutely no signs of similar feelings." I was all but yelling.

"So there have been others?" He asks amused and ignores my raised voice.

"There were only attempts," I said bitterly, holding my tongue.

"Well then, I'm only asking you to my apartment for a drink. What do you say?"

"I don't drink much, but thanks for the offer." I had calmed down a bit but my blood was still boiling. I could come down off my ledge pretty easily. I couldn't hold grudges for more than a few minutes.

"Any particular reason?" he said as if he actually was interested.

"I don't want to lose myself in it. You never know when a tragedy will strike." I thought back to my dad. He drank before my mom's death and found that after her death, it was the only thing to keep the pain away. It was his morphling. His voice brought me back to the conversation.

"There's a balcony just off my apartment. The view of the Capitol is amazing." He continued relentlessly.

"I'm not interested in seeing the city." I replied. I was not going to give in to his advances like every other pitiful woman. He had made himself known with a few capitol women, tributes, and escorts. They weren't quiet about it, however not one of the tributes had lived to shame him and as for the capitol women, they were in it for the same reasons as he was.

"Well if I can't get you to my apartment for innocent reasons," he said with slight emphasis on innocent, "then can we just escape the music and the crowds for a few moments? There's a terrace beneath the balcony." He gestured over to the massive windows with closed doors beneath that lead to the massive balcony. I pondered over it for a few seconds. It looked like a serene place, well as serene as the capitol gets, and it was definitely not his apartment. He was never going to give up and frankly I was tired of trying to stop him. As long as I wasn't getting into his bed or doing anything that would be done in that bed, what's the harm?

"It's the middle of winter and you want to go outside?" I asked. I loved the cold, but being outside in a dress would not be pleasant.

"It's not cold, and there's no snow on the terrace or balcony. Trust me." Trust him. The man who at one point in his career, probably tried to kill me.

"Fine," I replied with an edge he could probably taste. He put his arm around my waist as he led me to the doors. He seemed to make sure his hands weren't too aggressive with their positioning. He must have been getting the hint that I wasn't doing anything lewd with him tonight or anytime soon for that matter. When we reached the balcony doors, I stopped.

"Should we be going out here? I don't want to cause any problems tonight." I asked with worry.

"We'll be fine we're not under heavy surveillance here. They're not going to stop me anyways." He said it as if being the head gamemaker made him infallible to the Capitol which is false. No one is infallible to the Capitol.

"We better be fine. I have a victor to get back to tonight." I said with warning. He ignored me and pushed the door open. The music faded as I walked through the door onto the balcony. He was right. It felt like a comfortable 70 degrees outside, even though it was the middle of winter. We walked down the grand staircase onto the terrace. As we reached the terrace he let go of my waist in which his hands seemed to be slightly reluctant. I walked to the center as he stood to the side. He watched my impression of the surrounding garden take its place on my face. We were surrounded by perfectly trimmed hedges and roses. About 100 feet all around me I could see snow. On the roof of the mansion, on the trees and shrubs just outside the garden, but there was no snow on the terrace or the immediate shrubs and flowers. How did they control what was on the terrace, but not what was outside of it? Then I thought of the arenas in the games. "Is there a force field around the terrace?" I asked out loud.

"Yes, President Snow had the force field installed so he could grow his roses year round." He said as he ventured over to the rose bushes. He plucked a rose from the bush. "Beautiful isn't it?" He asked inquisitively as he looked to me. As attractive as he is, the wooing was getting old.

"I suppose, to someone who likes roses they're beautiful. I'm not much of a rose person." Maybe this would throw him off some more or enough to end his advances, I thought. His brow furrowed above his narrowing eyes. Almost as if he was trying to figure something out.

"You're difficult to please, you know? Not one to jump at the first opportunity, but the best, it seems." He said it as if he has solved all the problems. He slowly walked up to me, stopping just before he reached me.

"Well I'm not one to settle." As I spoke he seemed to find confirmation that I didn't settle for less than the best.

"What is it going to take for me to be the best?" He asked in a seductive tone as he took a step closer to me, reaching his hands to my hips. His arms wrapped around my waist and he pulled me in closer to him. I was caught off guard by his action, although I shouldn't have been by this point of the evening. I just didn't think it would be so outward after all my resentment.

"Give me some space and I'll let you know when I find out," I said putting my hands on his chest and pushing him away lightly. His hands held strong and didn't release from my waist. I narrowed my eyes at him, slowly turing into a scowl. "Look, I'm not interested and if you haven't noticed, your advances are going to waste. I suggest you move on and find another woman to pursue," I finished my rant and he released his hold on my waist. I quickly turned away from him before I could see his face again and walked up the stairs and to the far side of the balcony where I wouldn't be seen by anyone. I took a deep breath. I got way too worked up over something so miniscule. The breeze was cool as I looked over the hedges and saw the snow. I needed to bring myself back to my normal state before I went back inside. After several deep breaths, I walked back to the main area of the balcony, checking to see that the coast was clear. I didn't want to bump into Seneca. After seeing that he was already back in the ballroom, I opened the door slightly, enough for me to sneak through. I didn't want to draw attention to me. Thankfully, no one saw me walk in and I was able to go and find someone I knew.

Finnick was the first person I found and he was alone since he was to appear single for his "job".

"Hey, I haven't seen you all night," he commented, "Sneak away?"

"Maybe," I teased. I didn't think telling Finnick would be right. He was a friend, but not that type.

"Well, now that you're back, care to dance, Miss Enark?" He asked with lots of formality and sarcasm.

"Why of course Mr. Odair." He grabbed my hand and pulled me to the dance floor, dropping the act. "Have you danced with Annie yet?"

"Yes, of course," he replied as if it was obvious.

"Good, she would be disappointed if she didn't have enough of you before these next few days."

"I know. I hate to leave her," he said solemnly. I could only imagine what he goes through.

"Well at least she's understanding." He nodded his head in agreement. The rest of the dance was made up of small talk and plans for the stay at the Capitol. We weren't allowed to do much outside our jobs unless approved by our chaperons, as we called them. They were a Capitol citizen assigned to us that stayed with us during our time in the Capitol. It wasn't terrible, but sometimes their personalities clashed with our own which led to a long few days. After the song ended I walked around and found Aelia. She was with some other Capitol stylists and warmly welcomed me into her circle of stylists.

"So, I saw you dancing with Seneca Crane," she squealed with excitement. I sighed. It was going to be a challenge for her to drop this topic so I shrugged. The less I said, maybe, the less she'd ask.

"Oh, come on, tell me about it," she prodded.

"There's nothing to tell," I said a little louder than I would have liked. My patience had all but worn out and I was still irritable. The stylists were all looking at me now. I looked back to Aelia and continued calmly, "We danced and that was it." She looked at me, still suspicious but she let it drop and continued to ask other stylists about current styles. I didn't have anywhere else to go, so I stayed in the group, but tuned out their conversations. I glanced around the room and watched other people. There were groups of multicolored citizens scattered around the food and the dance floor. I looked over to one group where I found Seneca Crane staring at me. It wasn't a severe look, but a stare of emptiness. I returned the stare but only for a few seconds. I looked away but I could still feel his eyes boring into my face burning guilt into my skin. I shouldn't have been guilty. He should have left me alone when I first said no. It was all stupid. I tuned back into Aelia's conversation and pretended to be apart of it. I was unsure if he would try to woo me again. Hopefully he wouldn't.

"Escuse me, Ms. Enark?" A young man approached me taking my thoughts away from Seneca Crane. His blonde hair was smoothed over his head without a hair out of place. A long green jacket ran down to his knees.

"Yes?"

"You seemed lonely over here, would you like to dance?" he held out his hand.

"Thank you for the offer, but I was just about to go find my friend." I was going to let him down easy. He seemed like he was innocent enough; I wouldn't crush his spirits.

"Oh, please," he started to beg, leaning in a bit.

"No, I'm okay. I'm not up for any dancing, but thanks anyhow," I played ignorant. He dropped his hand, giving up and walked away without another word. I shook my head and rolled my eyes.

By the end of the night, I had eaten way too many desserts and I was ready to go find my apartment. The ball was entering it's final minutes when Magnus found me. Trailing behind him was Aelia and Kern.

"Have you seen Finnick or Annie," he asked.

"No, but find one and you'll find the other," I replied. Finnick always saved his last dance for Annie. I never knew why, but I figured it wasn't my business to know.

I turned around to scan the ballroom. I found Annie and Finnick quickly as there weren't many people left in the room. Magnus started walking to gather them when I spoke up, "Let them finish their dance." I pleaded a bit. He turned around to reply.

"We're on a schedule," he reminded tapping his wrist.

"It won't take much longer. Just give them a few more minutes."

"Fine, five minutes or until the song is over, whichever comes first," he agreed.

I smiled in thanks. For the next few minutes, we stood to the side as we talked and watched them dance. They were so engulfed in each other, but only we could see it. It made me jealous to see two people so happy. I hoped that I would soon feel that way about someone. Maybe Aelia was right, I was too uptight, but I really didn't want to meet anyone outside the district. What if we would never be together? Plus she was trying to set me up with Capitol citizens, probably the lowest on my list.

The song ended before the five minutes was up and we met up with our chaperons, Revekka and Adamos. Revekka was my chaperon and was several years older than me. Her hair looked like it was on fire with the different hues of red and orange. The flames of orange stuck out from under the red, choppy pieces. Her skin was tinted orange as well. Adamos's black hair contrasted his pale skin which slightly glistened from what looked like glitter. Next to him stood his wife, Livia. Her platinum hair ran halfway down her back and stood out against her dark skin and purple dress.

"It's good to see you, Maisy," Revekka said nodding. It always took her a while to come around.

"It's nice to see you too." Next to me, Finnick and Adamos were talking. It was always clear where Finnick learned his ways from. Perhaps that was why he was placed with Adamos. It wasn't until last year that Adamos settled down and set aside most of his ways, but it was about time. He had just turned forty and one could only live like that for so long. After discussing our plans, we parted ways with Magnus, Aelia, and Kern who were going back to District 4.

**AN: If matter-of-factly isn't a word or phrase, I just made it one. I wonder what edge tastes like... I bet it's bitter. And sorry that the font and stuff changes halfway through. I copied stuff form Word and it was different. I don't want to retype everything. Wow that was a long chapter! I just couldn't find a good place to stop. Where I left it was kinda stupid, but I want to get this chapter out to you guys. If you guys have any suggestions, comments, or stuff you want to see, comment and I'll see what I can do. I'm always open to suggestions for characters and plot ideas. Hope you all enjoyed this chapter. The next one will hopefully be out before I start school, but I'm still unsure about how I'm going to continue, so if you have thoughts or ideas, I want to hear them. **

-KMK


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